Pasta with Vodka Sauce

This is a recipe I've been making for years. I put this recipe together by combining what I thought was the best of a few recipes I found online and in my cookbooks. This recipe makes a ton and it's what I use when I'm cooking for a crowd. It can easily be halved or make it all and freeze half of it (before adding the cream).





Michele's Vodka Sauce

Ingredients:

2 onions, chopped

1 bunch scallions, chopped, (separate light and dark green parts)

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

¼ lb Prosciutto di Parma, sliced into strips

1 ¼ cup vodka

2 - 8 oz cans tomato paste

4 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 Qt heavy cream

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan, sauté onions, garlic and light parts of scallions until soft on medium heat. Add Prosciutto and let cook for about one minute. Add vodka; turn up heat to medium high and cook until alcohol burns out about 4 minutes. Lower heat and add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes; stir. Add green parts of scallions, kosher salt and black pepper. Turn up heat until boiling, then lower heat. Let cook for 1 hour. Add cream; let simmer until starts bubbling and turn off heat.

        

This is enough sauce for about 4-5 lbs of pasta or more.

       

I forgot to take a picture after adding the cream.  I will update this post the next time I make it with that pic.

Pasta with Vodka Sauce

This is a recipe I've been making for years. I put this recipe together by combining what I thought was the best of a few recipes I found online and in my cookbooks. This recipe makes a ton and it's what I use when I'm cooking for a crowd. It can easily be halved or make it all and freeze half of it (before adding the cream).





Michele's Vodka Sauce

Ingredients:

2 onions, chopped

1 bunch scallions, chopped, (separate light and dark green parts)

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

¼ lb Prosciutto di Parma, sliced into strips

1 ¼ cup vodka

2 - 8 oz cans tomato paste

4 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 Qt heavy cream

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan, sauté onions, garlic and light parts of scallions until soft on medium heat. Add Prosciutto and let cook for about one minute. Add vodka; turn up heat to medium high and cook until alcohol burns out about 4 minutes. Lower heat and add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes; stir. Add green parts of scallions, kosher salt and black pepper. Turn up heat until boiling, then lower heat. Let cook for 1 hour. Add cream; let simmer until starts bubbling and turn off heat.

        

This is enough sauce for about 4-5 lbs of pasta or more.

       

I forgot to take a picture after adding the cream.  I will update this post the next time I make it with that pic.

Spicy Spaghetti with Three Peppers and Onions

This recipe was a chance to prove to my boyfriend that I CAN make spicy food! I think he just likes to pretend that he's so rough and tough and nothing is spicy enough for him. It's all an act but that's okay, I know he really liked this dish! It's another one from Rachael Ray's new Cookbook Look and Cook. I did change this up quite a bit so I'm going to give you my version of this recipe. The original recipe was very saucy and used a can of crushed tomatoes. I thought it would be nice to do something different and have a lighter sauce that really focused on the peppers. My version uses an odd ingredient...marinated tuscan peppers also called pepperoncini. These are the peppers you'll find on an antipasto platter or in giardineria. I've really been trying to find ways to use them because I find that they have a lot of flavor. Their texture is a little off and they are almost waxy and don't have a meaty texture. However, if you slice them thin enough they will incorporate their flavor and you will barely notice them by sight. The liquid that they are packed in has a lot of flavor and heat as well. It's vinegary and it's definitely a good thing! Next time I'm going to thinly slice some fennel and cook it with the peppers and onions. I can't wait to try that!

Spicy Spaghetti with Three Peppers and Onions

Inspired by Rachael Ray's Recipe in Look and Cook


Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti
extra virgin olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise seeded, and thinly sliced
2 cubanelle peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
6 marinated tuscan peppers, tops cut off, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large vidalia onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of tuscan pepper liquid
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp butter
about 1/2 cup chicken stock or pasta water (or both)
2 tbsp basil (dorat frozen cubes)
romano cheese
salt and pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water and cook the spaghetti until al dente.

While water is coming to a boil, heat EVOO in a large skilled over medium-high heat. Add onions, red and cubanelle peppers as you slice them, stirring occasionally. When onions and peppers are softened (about 10 minutes) push veggies aside and add butter garlic, crushed red pepper and tuscan peppers to the center of the pan. Continue to cook for a few minutes and then add tomato paste and basil. Stir to combine. Add salt and black pepper. Add juice from peppers, and stir. Let it cook for a minute and add some chicken stock as needed. Let continue to cook on low until pasta is ready.

Strain pasta (reserving some pasta water)when it is slightly undercooked. Add to peppers and toss to combine and coat pasta with the sauce. Add a ladle of pasta water if needed. Toss with some romano cheese.


Click here for a printable recipe.

Spicy Spaghetti with Three Peppers and Onions

This recipe was a chance to prove to my boyfriend that I CAN make spicy food! I think he just likes to pretend that he's so rough and tough and nothing is spicy enough for him. It's all an act but that's okay, I know he really liked this dish! It's another one from Rachael Ray's new Cookbook Look and Cook. I did change this up quite a bit so I'm going to give you my version of this recipe. The original recipe was very saucy and used a can of crushed tomatoes. I thought it would be nice to do something different and have a lighter sauce that really focused on the peppers. My version uses an odd ingredient...marinated tuscan peppers also called pepperoncini. These are the peppers you'll find on an antipasto platter or in giardineria. I've really been trying to find ways to use them because I find that they have a lot of flavor. Their texture is a little off and they are almost waxy and don't have a meaty texture. However, if you slice them thin enough they will incorporate their flavor and you will barely notice them by sight. The liquid that they are packed in has a lot of flavor and heat as well. It's vinegary and it's definitely a good thing! Next time I'm going to thinly slice some fennel and cook it with the peppers and onions. I can't wait to try that!

Spicy Spaghetti with Three Peppers and Onions

Inspired by Rachael Ray's Recipe in Look and Cook


Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti
extra virgin olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise seeded, and thinly sliced
2 cubanelle peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
6 marinated tuscan peppers, tops cut off, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large vidalia onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of tuscan pepper liquid
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp butter
about 1/2 cup chicken stock or pasta water (or both)
2 tbsp basil (dorat frozen cubes)
romano cheese
salt and pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water and cook the spaghetti until al dente.

While water is coming to a boil, heat EVOO in a large skilled over medium-high heat. Add onions, red and cubanelle peppers as you slice them, stirring occasionally. When onions and peppers are softened (about 10 minutes) push veggies aside and add butter garlic, crushed red pepper and tuscan peppers to the center of the pan. Continue to cook for a few minutes and then add tomato paste and basil. Stir to combine. Add salt and black pepper. Add juice from peppers, and stir. Let it cook for a minute and add some chicken stock as needed. Let continue to cook on low until pasta is ready.

Strain pasta (reserving some pasta water)when it is slightly undercooked. Add to peppers and toss to combine and coat pasta with the sauce. Add a ladle of pasta water if needed. Toss with some romano cheese.


Click here for a printable recipe.

Chicken and Porcini Mushroom Shepherd's Pie with Fontina-Sage Potatoes

Wow, this blog really is dusty!  Sorry I've been away for so long.  I'm happy to report that I have still been cooking and eating and even taking pictures but after a long day of working (some days 2 jobs) I just can't get myself to write up a post.  I'm going to try to be diligent about posting at least twice a week.  Let's see how that works.  Sound good?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed all those other holidays I've missed!  Mine was great! Aside from having a bad cold I really enjoyed Christmas, all the yummy food and the extra days off.  Speaking of Christmas....I am so excited to share that Steve bought me the new Color Nook!  I do love to read (although even that hasn't made it onto my to do list lately) but the main reason I wanted the Color nook is for my cookbooks.  I have so many cookbooks and they take up so much space.  I thought it would be a great way to store and keep track of the new cookbooks I buy.  The first book I downloaded was Rachael Ray's Look and Cook.  There are a lot of great recipes in this book.  I think I bookmarked about 15 of them so far which is a good sign.

I chose to make this recipe out of all of those because I had basically all of the ingredients thanks to leftover ingredients from my Christmas recipes.  Besides, it does seem like an Italian version of Shepherd's Pie, doesn't it? I made a couple of substitutions which worked out just fine.  I used chicken breasts in place of the tenders or thighs, dried wild mushrooms instead of porcini, 1 small onion instead of the shallots and I added 2 cloves of minced garlic.  In addition to the changes to the recipe I decided to cook the onions and carrots before I added the chicken.  I find that the veggies need a little longer to cook than her recipe states and I didn't want the chicken to dry out.  I will give you the recipe as it was printed and you can decide if you want to follow the recipe exactly or if you'd like to incorporate my changes (or your own).

Chicken Porcini Shepherd's Pie with Fontina-Sage Potatoes

Look and Cook
by Rachael Ray

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed
salt
1/2 cup whole milk or cream
4 stems of fresh sage, leaves removed and thinly sliced
Black Pepper
1 cup shredded Italian Fontina cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp EVOO
1/4 pound of 1/4 inch thick pancetta or prosciutto, diced
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders, diced
3 shallots, chopped
2 medium carrots, pelled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Salt the water and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 12 to 15 minutes.  When tender, drain the potatoes and return to the hot pot.  Mash the potatoes with the milk or cream, sage, salt and pepper, and the cheese.  Add nutmeg to taste and stir in the egg.

While the potatoes come to a boil, place the porcinis in a small pot and cover with the stock.  Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer to reconstitute the mushrooms.

While the mushrooms are softening, heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat, place an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the broiler.  Add the pancetta to the hot oil and crisp for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.  Add the shallots and carrot and cook for 5 minutes more.  Make a well in the center of the pan and melt the butter.  Whisk the flour into the butter and cook for 1 minute, then add the wine.  Remove the porcinis from the stock and stir the stock into the chicken mixture.  Chop the porcinis and stir into the mixture.  Thicken the sauce for 2 minutes and scoop the chicken into a 9x13 inch casserole or individual casseroles.  Top with the potatoes, brown under the broiler for a couples of minutes and serve. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 

Chicken and Porcini Mushroom Shepherd's Pie with Fontina-Sage Potatoes

Wow, this blog really is dusty!  Sorry I've been away for so long.  I'm happy to report that I have still been cooking and eating and even taking pictures but after a long day of working (some days 2 jobs) I just can't get myself to write up a post.  I'm going to try to be diligent about posting at least twice a week.  Let's see how that works.  Sound good?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed all those other holidays I've missed!  Mine was great! Aside from having a bad cold I really enjoyed Christmas, all the yummy food and the extra days off.  Speaking of Christmas....I am so excited to share that Steve bought me the new Color Nook!  I do love to read (although even that hasn't made it onto my to do list lately) but the main reason I wanted the Color nook is for my cookbooks.  I have so many cookbooks and they take up so much space.  I thought it would be a great way to store and keep track of the new cookbooks I buy.  The first book I downloaded was Rachael Ray's Look and Cook.  There are a lot of great recipes in this book.  I think I bookmarked about 15 of them so far which is a good sign.

I chose to make this recipe out of all of those because I had basically all of the ingredients thanks to leftover ingredients from my Christmas recipes.  Besides, it does seem like an Italian version of Shepherd's Pie, doesn't it? I made a couple of substitutions which worked out just fine.  I used chicken breasts in place of the tenders or thighs, dried wild mushrooms instead of porcini, 1 small onion instead of the shallots and I added 2 cloves of minced garlic.  In addition to the changes to the recipe I decided to cook the onions and carrots before I added the chicken.  I find that the veggies need a little longer to cook than her recipe states and I didn't want the chicken to dry out.  I will give you the recipe as it was printed and you can decide if you want to follow the recipe exactly or if you'd like to incorporate my changes (or your own).

Chicken Porcini Shepherd's Pie with Fontina-Sage Potatoes

Look and Cook
by Rachael Ray

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed
salt
1/2 cup whole milk or cream
4 stems of fresh sage, leaves removed and thinly sliced
Black Pepper
1 cup shredded Italian Fontina cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp EVOO
1/4 pound of 1/4 inch thick pancetta or prosciutto, diced
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders, diced
3 shallots, chopped
2 medium carrots, pelled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Salt the water and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 12 to 15 minutes.  When tender, drain the potatoes and return to the hot pot.  Mash the potatoes with the milk or cream, sage, salt and pepper, and the cheese.  Add nutmeg to taste and stir in the egg.

While the potatoes come to a boil, place the porcinis in a small pot and cover with the stock.  Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer to reconstitute the mushrooms.

While the mushrooms are softening, heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat, place an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the broiler.  Add the pancetta to the hot oil and crisp for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.  Add the shallots and carrot and cook for 5 minutes more.  Make a well in the center of the pan and melt the butter.  Whisk the flour into the butter and cook for 1 minute, then add the wine.  Remove the porcinis from the stock and stir the stock into the chicken mixture.  Chop the porcinis and stir into the mixture.  Thicken the sauce for 2 minutes and scoop the chicken into a 9x13 inch casserole or individual casseroles.  Top with the potatoes, brown under the broiler for a couples of minutes and serve. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.